1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic watering systems, and in particular, to an automatic, programmable sprinkler system capable of watering large areas with the aid of a detachable car responsive to a preset program which may be modified or updated each time the detachable car leaves its carrier mechanism and moves along a plurality of rail paths.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
The art abounds with various types of automatic irrigation systems which generally fall into two broad classes. The first class is of a type which includes a water feed pipeline having a number of valves or connections to which one end of a hose may be affixed. The other end of the hose is connected to the watering mechanism. The watering mechanism may be automatically controlled either continuously operating or intermittent operation moving along under a programmable, preset number of cycles. As the watering mechanism moves along, it drags the hose behind it until the hose becomes fully extended at which time the system will shut down requiring a human to disconnect the hose and move it to the next valve opening along the line, wherein the cycle is repeated indefinitely. This type of system is generally used outdoors and may cover large areas. Typical of this type of watering mechanism is U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,906 issued Aug. 7, 1984 to Reinke, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,837 issued on Sept. 29, 1981 to Gheen.
In an alternative approach, watering mechanisms have been designed to travel along an irrigation ditch having water disposed therein. A pumping device inserted in the water filled irrigation ditch brings the water to the watering mechanism. Thus, as the automatic watering mechanism moves along the prescribed path generally perpendicular to the irrigation ditch the water may be transferred to the watering mechanism in a continuous manner controlled by the watering mechanism. There is no need to disconnect and connect a hose that is dragged along behind the watering mechanism as required in the first instance. This simplifies the automatic operation and relies on the programmed automatic control to continuously pump the water from the ditch to the mechanism as the watering mechanism moves along. Typical of in irrigation system which uses a reservoir disposed along the path to be watered with a pumping device to take the water out of the irrigation reservoir (or ditch) is U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,551 issued to Johnson on Oct. 30, 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,669 issued to Cortobassi on July 11, 1978.
Automatic robots are well known in the art and these mechanisms generally move along prescribed paths having some sort of guide path established by track members positioned below ground. The proximity of the moving vehicle to the ground guide path may be determined by a system which operates on magnetic lines of flux as a receiving and transmitting system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,269 issued to Naro on Aug. 22, 1978, or alternatively a system wherein code signals are transmitted along the channel path to guide the moving vehicle and/or the function that is to be performed. Typical of an automatic control vehicle following a prescribed path is U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,445 issued to DeBruine, on Jan. 18, 1977. A passive code marking system disposed along the path is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,342 issued to Parcher, et al on Apr. 6, 1976. Another automatic vehicle control system that travels along a predetermined path is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,568 which issued to Ando, et al on May 6, 1975. This patent utilizes a light detector which receives the reflected light from a guide band arranged on a predetermined surface path. However, these automatic robot devices do not disclose or suggest any manner of providing irrigation (water) over a prescribed area.
Another automatic system specifically relating to irrigation of a prescribed area is the apparatus manufactured by Growing Systems, Incorporated of Milwaukee, Wis. The apparatus disclosed therein provides for a moving watering mechanism suspended from a pair of overhead rails. The mechanism includes a drive motor and a programmable control device which permits the vehicle to move along the pair of rails and water the area along the path described by the rails. The apparatus is limited insofar is it drags the hose connected to a pressurized water reservoir along behind the vehicle and may only be used in a prescribed single path extending the length of the hose. As the hose moves behind on hangers, it is kept off the ground and is suspended from the same pair of rails upon which the moving vehicle travels. This apparatus operates in both the forward and reverse directions and has limited use since a separate independent vehicle and system must be installed for each area to be irrigated. Thus, if large areas are to be covered with the spraying system, a plurality of watering systems would have to be installed since they may only move the length of the hose which is typically between 50 and 100 feet.
The instant invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an overhead watering system ideally suitable for use in large hothouses and/or nurseries wherein the limited footage of hose (150 feet) is carried with the watering mechanism. A single carrier may water any number of watering paths determined by an overhead rail system wherein the watering or irrigating car is detached from the carrier mechanism and can water a plurality of water paths completely controlled by preset instructions in the computer or programming means associated therewith. The irrigating car may have its instructions varied for each of the water paths and also may have instructions changed periodically along each prescribed path, thus providing an incrementally different watering scheme along each of the water paths.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable inexpensive irrigational watering system capable of watering a plurality of irrigation paths while only using a single system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an overhead irrigation system which may be preset and programmed by the operator thereof.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an overhead watering system which may irrigate a plurality of water paths with a single watering apparatus and has the ability to modify the irrigation along each of the paths or portions thereof.
It is further another object of the present invention to provide an overhead watering and/or irrigation system that does not require a human to interfere with the watering program by making incremental connections to the pressurized water reservoir.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to rovide an automatic irrigation system which utilizes a carrier apparatus and a detachable car device which may move along a second controlled path to provide watering over the complete length of the hose which is suspended along to the overhead control path railing.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic irrigation system which includes programmable computer device associated therewith which may be preprogrammed or obtain alternative programming instructions by optical means disposed along the watering path.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide an irrigation system which utilizes a single carrier rail to define a watering path and upon which the watering device travels and returns with the ability of supply water in both directions.
It is still yet an additional object of the present invention to provide an automatic irrigation device capable of sensing obstructions in the watering path, provide a signal to a control perator that an obstruction has incurred, so that it may be removed, and then the watering device continues along its path.